Photo: Cam Smith
Drivers on the West Coast are being warned to limit travel to essential trips only, with widespread heavy rain, strong winds and snow creating hazardous conditions.
Waka Kotahi is warning motorists not to venture out unless they have no choice with many roads on the highway network flooded, trees down and slips.
Snow has closed State Highway 73 over Porters Pass, and between Arthur’s Pass Village and Otira, as well as State Highway 80 from Lake Pukaki to Mount Cook.
State Highway 7 between Stillwater and Greymouth and State Highway 6 Inangahua between State Highway 69 and Brown Creek Road intersections have closed due to flooding.
Queen Charlotte Drive in Marlborough has also closed due to a slip.
West Coast Emergency Management say they are closely monitoring the severe weather across the region on Saturday, in case evacuations are needed later in the day.
A number of weather warnings are in place for most of the South Island and central North Island.
Catch up with what happened with RNZ’s live weather coverage here:
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.